Garment-supporter



(Ne Model.)

J. H. BENNETT.

. GARMENT SUP'PORTER. No. 389,918. Patented Sept. 25, 1888.

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Miran STATES JOHN H. BENNETT, OF SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

GARMENT-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,918, dated September 25, 1888.

Application filed February 21, 1887. Serial No. 238,435. (No moltl.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that 1, JOHN H. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Southbridge, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Garment- Supporters, a full, clear, and exact description of which is set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a human figure, showing one of the applications of my improved garment-supporter. Fig. 2 is a view of the supporter on a larger scale. Fig. 3 shows an edge view of the same. Fig. 4: shows the supporter and the method of attaching the same to the fabric; and Fig. 5 represents a supporter essentially the same in form, but which is made by bending a strip of metal into the shape desired.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

My improved garinent'supporter is formed of a metallic plate, A, preferablystamped from a sheet of steel; and it consists of two hooks, B 0, each inclosing a narrow slit, aand-b, with substantially parallel sides, and into which a portion of the fabric is drawn, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 The central section, D, of the plate is bent or curved, and the ends E F, attached to the curved section at c c, are substantially tangential to the curved section D, as indicated by the broken lines TT, fornr iiig \I-shaped openings (Z d to the slits a b.

An opening, G, is left between the free ends E and F sufficient to allow a portion, 9, of the fabric to be carried into the hook, or the fabric to be raised and the hook carried around the fabric.

My improved supporter is arranged to engage or seize both the garment to be held and also the one by which it is supported, as shown in Fig. 1, where the hooks G seize a portion of the fabric in the fore piece, H, of the over alls, and the hooks B seize the ends of the suspenders J J. I prefer to stamp the supporter from sheet metal, as the strain of the fabric tending to open the slit is received against the edges of the plate; but I do not confine my self to this method of the supporter, as they may be made by bending a stiff wire or a strip or band of metal, as shown in Fig. 5.

My improved garment-supporter is adapted to be used wherever the garment to be held and the supporting portion of the apparel are broughtintojuxtaposition, so as to allow each to be seized by the hooks B and Gsuch as stockings, sleeves, and especially the suspenders of 0veralls,where buttons and buckles are objectionable as interfering in the operation of washing the garment.

I am aware that garment-supporters have been in use having a hook to engage the gar ment, inclosing a narrow slit with a V-shaped opening leading thereto, into which a fold of the fabric was drawn.

I am also aware that a garment-supporter with two opposing hooks is not new; also, that it is not new to bend the central section uniting such opposing hooks, so as to offset the hooks.

My improved garment-supporter is especially adapted to attach the fore piece of overalls to the suspenders, and its application is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. It has been customary heretofore in garment-supporters of this class to make the hooks with their inclosed slit either coincident with or parallel to the line of strain upon the fabric, and to attach them to the-garment by raising a portion of the garment and inserting the raised portion between the sides of the hooks.

The distinguishing feature of my present invention consists in making the hooks so their slits will stand at an angle with the line of strain upon the fabric, and also to each other, and I accomplish this by so curving or bend ing the central section between the two hooks that the slits inclosed by them shall be substantially tangential to the bent portion of thesupporter, or so the slits in each of the hooks shall be brought at an angle with the line of strain upon the fabric of about sixty degrees. I am thereby enabled to engage the side of the suspender, and also the side of the bib or fore piece, as shown in enlarged view in Fig. 4, at the same time holding the suspender and the corner of the bib smooth without a fold to be drawn into the hooks, as is usually required. The supporter is also held from turning about 100 the line of strain as an axis, tending to pre sent the edge of the supporter to the person. I also gain an advantage in making the line of strain at an angle with the slits in the hooks in that I can adapt each hook to fabrics of different thicknesses by bending the free end of the hook so it will not lie in the same horizontal plane, thereby enlarging the slit and causing the hook to maintain its bight upon the fabric, i nasmuch as the strain of the fabric is principally against the edge of the free end of the hook, instead of against the end of the slit, as in the ease of the ordinary garmentsupporter. \Vheu the garment-Snpporter is to be disengaged from either the bib or from the edge of the suspender, the fabric is held and the hook rotated about the opposite end of the supporter as a pivotal point, Whereas if the hook were coincident with or parallel with the line of the strain upon the fabric the hook would have to be raised its entire length in order to disengage the fabric. In case one hook is to be used the hook B may be cut off on the line L, Fig. 4, and the supporter attached to the Suspender or bib by riveting or 25 stand at an angle with each other, in order to 35 allow the parallel edges of the garment to be inserted in said hooks, substantially as described.

JOIIN H. BENNET". \Vi tn esses:

O. A. PAIGE, G. A. BARTLETT. 

